ABOUT OUR RESEARCH

This project aimed to determine the impact that distance to the nearest reproductive health clinic and state abortion policies have on maternal, infant, and sexual health outcomes across the United States.

The top map here shows the social determinants of health used in our models, including our variables of interest: distance to care and state abortion policies. The bottom map shows county-level maternal, infant, and sexual health outcomes across the country.

Our model accounted for county-level education, race, and income statistics and found that further distance to reproductive health clinics was associated with higher maternal mortality rates, higher infant mortality rates, higher teen birth rate, and higher chlamydia rates.

Our model also found that more restrictive state-level abortion policies were associated with higher maternal mortality rates, higher infant mortality rates, higher teen birth rate, and higher low birthweight rates.

Although there are certainly other underlying social factors that influence these health outcomes, this research provides strong evidence that better access to reproductive health clinics and less restrictive abortion policies are associated with better maternal, infant, and sexual health outcomes.

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS

HEALTH OUTCOMES

ABOUT OUR RESEARCH

Based on the population of women of reproductive age in each county and the average distance to the nearest reproductive health clinic, we created a model that identified the 20 counties where reproductive health clinics could have the biggest impact.

These counties, listed in the order they were identified by the model are:

Lubbock County, TX

Pennington County, SD

Ward County, ND

Webb County, TX

Tom Green County, TX

Charleston County, SC

Calcasieu Parish, LA

Allen County, IN

Greene County, MO

Brown County, WI

Ector County, TX

Hamilton County, TN

Washington County, UT

Natrona County, WY

Fayette County, KY

Potter County, TX

Vanderburgh County, IN

Smith County, TX

Wichita County, TX

Erie County, PA

IMPACT OF TWENTY RECOMMENDED CLINICS

ABOUT THESE CALCULATIONS

For each of the 20 counties that were identified through our model that accounts for population of females of reproductive age and distance to the nearest clinic, we calculated how much we would expect maternal, infant, and sexual health outcomes to change with the addition of a clinic and with the less strict abortion policies.

These calculations still account for county level variations in education, race, and income statistics which contribute to the variation in projected changes.

It is important to note that if the 20 recommended clinics were constructed, health outcomes would also be expected to change in the surrounding counties that would likely also utilize these clinics. Similarly, state policy changes would impact health outcomes beyond these 20 counties of interest.

Although there are certainly other underlying social factors that influence these health outcomes, this research provides strong evidence that better access to reproductive health clinics and less restrictive abortion policies are associated with better maternal, infant, and sexual health outcomes.